The Blue House 

Rose O’Neill, better known for creating the Kewpie characters, painted "The Blue House" using oil on canvas. O'Neill lived a life in stark contrast to the saccharine sweetness of her Kewpie creations. As a woman working in the male-dominated field of illustration, she explored themes that challenged conventional representations of femininity and domesticity. In this landscape, the house appears serene, but the high horizon line and enclosing walls create a sense of confinement. O’Neill spent time in Paris and the influence of French Impressionism is evident in the dappled brushstrokes and emphasis on light and color, yet O'Neill imbues the scene with a unique sense of emotional depth, reflecting her own feelings of displacement and longing. The painting thus becomes a poignant reflection on the complexities of identity, history, and the search for belonging in a rapidly changing world.